C3 attends the 2024 MDA Clinical and Scientific Conference

The Muscular Dystrophy Association held their 2024 Clinical and Scientific Conference on March 3-6 in Orlando, Florida. C3 Scientific Director Dr. Jennifer Levy attended the meeting and shares the following highlights:

The MDA Public Policy and Advocacy Team convened representatives from 30+ nonprofit groups for the annual meeting of the Neuromuscular Advocacy Collaborative. The meeting aimed to develop a shared policy agenda that will improve the lives of the entire neuromuscular community.

C3 hosted a booth in the Patient Advocacy Pavilion to share information about our research grants and the LGMD2A/Calpainopathy Registry with conference attendees.

Dr. Anna Cordeiro Santanach, project lead at AGADA Biosciences, presented a poster characterizing a novel Calpain 3-null zebrafish model. This C3-funded project aims to develop an animal model that can be used to quickly and easily test compounds that could be beneficial to patients. Read more about the project here. 

Katelyn Villani, PhD Candidate at the University of Florida, presented her poster revealing abnormal calcium signaling and handling in Calpain 3-null muscle. This project, funded by a research grant from C3, describes a newly identified mechanism underlying the pathology of LGMD2A/R1. Ms. Villani’s poster was selected for the Sunday evening Poster Showcase. Learn more about the project here. 

Dr. Levy presented a poster detailing the initial enrollment of the LGMD2A/Calpainopathy Registry. In the five months since the Registry’s launch, over 220 individuals have enrolled from 39 countries. The poster can be viewed here.